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Mal-Therith
Mal-Therith is a Eldar exodite world on the western edges of the Segmentum Pacificus. A maiden world seeded tens of thousands of years ago, even in the face of the constant war wracking the Galaxy by M41 it still remains firmly in the hands of the Eldar, despite the efforts of the Imperium and, more recently, the Orks. Climate and Ecology As an Eldar maiden world, the climate of Mal-Therith is superior to most other planets. Terraformed over the course of thousands of years, it possesses a very moderate and pleasant climate, ranging from -10 C at the poles to up to 29 C at the hottest areas. The ecology of Mal-Therith is similar to most Eldar exodite worlds. Covered in vast grassy plains for raising megadons, with forests, mountains and a pair of large seas. Even after the Scourge of Mal-Therith the ecology of areas burned to wipe out Orkish invaders recovered in a matter of only 200 years due to the surviving ecosystems that surrounded them. History Mal-Therith was seeded as a maiden world by the Eldar's empire in M14 beggining the process of terraforming it. As Eldar terraforming is a process of many thousand years, unlike Human or Tau, it was delayed father by a unexpected large asteroid impact in M17. By M22 it was fit for habitation though it was delayed for a seeming lack of need for the extra space. However, not too long after the beginnings of the Fall of the Eldar started within the Eldar's empire, those Eldar who disliked the way the culture of the empire was turning began to leave for the worlds on the outer rims of the empire or beyond. Many would form exodite societies, eschewing the luxuries and ease of the Eldar for a more simple life. Many of these arrived on Mal-Therith, but so did many who believed that the pre-hedonism Eldar culture was still the ideal for the galaxy. The two different groups of eldar nearly came into conflict were it not for the intervention of the Eldar of the craftworld Baharruin who helped the exodites and exiles reach an agreement. So it was when the Eldar's hedonism reached it's peak, the Eldar who had fled to Mal-Therith were spared from being devoured when Slaanesh was born and the Eye of Terror formed. Several centuries thereafter craftworld Baharruin arrived, carrying many refugees and bearing tales of the horrors that had engulfed the Eldar. Many of these refugees chose to join either the craftworld or become exodites on the maiden worlds that Baharruin visited. Some however saw the pre-fall society existing on Mal-Therith and choose to join them swelling the population of Mal-Therith to new heights, making it the most heavily populated exodite world for thousands of light-years. One result of the the sudden influx of refugees from Baharruin did bring many traditions from the Craftworld, bringing more structure to life within the cities. Coming of the Imperium For well over 10,000 years the Eldar on Mal-Therith flourished. Eldar from craftworld Baharruin seeking more freedom would often go to live within the cities on Mal-Therith or with the exodites living out side the cities. Trade frequently came in from the craftworld and various corsair fleets. However in 337.M41 the greatest disaster since the Fall of the Eldar arrived in the form of the Macharian Crusade. While the Eldar in the area had heard of the Imperium from the craftworld and corsairs for millennia, they had thought themselves far enough out on the Galactic rim for the Imperium to reach them. They were not unprepared however, with military might from the cities and greater numbers than any of the other exodite worlds in the sector they held out long enough for Eldar corsairs to reach them. However, even with the aid of the corsairs they were little match for the far more numerous Imperial forces. Soon realizing defeat was inevitable the corsairs invited the Eldar of Mal-Therith to flee onboard their ships. While many of the city dwellers took that option or fled into the webway with the aid of Harlequins, those living as exodites unanimously refused to leave their world. Instead they chose to either go into hiding on Mal-Therith or fight the invaders. Most of those who chose to fight were swiftly crushed by the Lord Solar's forces. After this many Imperial scholars and even some human colonists were stationed on Mal-Therith, (called Latro-3 by the Imperium), to begin bringing the planet into the Imperial fold. However a mere two years later in 339.M41 the death of Lord Solar Macharius marked the beginning of the Macharian Heresy that would wrack the Eressa sector for the next seventy years. The Eldar, seeing their chance, attacked the Human forces left of Mal-Therith with a combined force from craftworld Baharruin, the remaining exodites, and the corsairs and Harlequins who helped the city dwelling Eldar escape. Few in number and against foes who knew the terrain a thousand times better than they, every trace of humanity was erased from the planet's surface and the refugees returned. The Scourge of Mal-Therith In 402.M41 shortly after the Eldar's reconquest of Mal-Therith, a second disaster befell the Eldar on Mal-Therith. Scant months after the majority of the Eldar forces left to retake other Eldar exodite worlds, a small space hulk was disgorged from the warp filled with Orks. Rather than let the Orks within fire upon Mal-Therith, the few Eldar Corsairs still in orbit fired upon the surface, destroying the Orks crudely built weapon batteries and docks. Before they could destroy the hulk, a warp drive on board one of the ships stuck within the hulk detonated, breaking large chunks off the hulk and sucking it back within the warp. These chunks plummeted down onto Mal-Therith, the Eldar corsairs unable to destroy them all. The various impacts across the planet raised huge clouds of dust and smoke, preventing the orbiting ships from firing upon them immediately. From the wreckage at the impact sites emerged the survivors of the Orks, soon combining into hordes. The recently depleted exodites were too few to match the Orks head on, and many of the defenses of the surface cities had been damaged or destroyed during the Imperial conquest and had yet to be repaired. Lacking any other option to prevent the spread of the Orks, the Eldar corsairs were forced to fire upon the Ork hordes from orbit, burning huge tracts of land in order to exterminate the Ork presence on Mal-Therith. Among the areas burned was one of the Eldar cities where one of the chucks of the space hulk had impacted. Culture Military *Company of the Azure Lance- These warriors are not unlike the Rough Rider units of some Imperial worlds- however their mounts are similar to Terran eels, but capable of traveling on land as well as by sea. Tasked with protecting the town of Ishselenora from Orks and S'raatsa - a hostile squid like creature with fifty meter long tentacles, they are a fiercely dedicated to their charges, vowing to fight and die to the last man rather than surrender. *Company of the Verdant Whisper- Similar to Eldar Rangers and equipped with weapons supplied by Craftworld Baharruin, this unit is drawn from the world's best marksmen and scouts. While largely untested in battle against offworld invaders, they have proven their worth against the Greenskins that plague their homeworld. When not called upon to fight the greenskin hordes that issue forth from the Fungus Groves their secondary duty is to protect the treetop villages of the Elysanora Grasslands from hostile wildlife. Notable Locations *'Elysanora Grasslands-' A continent sized region of plains flanked by impassible mountain ranges to the North and South, its few trees can live for tens of millenia and span hundreds of meters around, providing room for Exodite Eldar to build settlements. This is something of a necessity, the Grasslands are home to a wide array of hostile, and voracious predators. *'Ishselenora-' This town, build on and around the island that bears its name, supports itself with fishing and the farming of edible plants. But its rich waters are also home to seaborne Orks and hostile wildlife, forcing its citizens to remain on guard at all times. *'Fungus Groves -' The area was once a vast forest, but has since been overrun by Orkoid spores, turning its natural beauty into a festering, foul smelling swamp full of Greenskins and rotting plant life. As the greenskins are not numerous or organized enough to be a threat- the Exodites leave them in place but keep a close watch over the area, culling any that draw too close to their settlements. *'''The Crystal Forest - '''Another product of the Scourge, the forest is full of petrified trees and patches of glass left behind by orbital bombardment. Category:Eressa Sector Category:Eldar Category:Worlds